Call for legal high submissions in Bay

Western Bay of Plenty District Council has released its draft Psychoactive Substances Policy and is calling for submissions from people on proposed controls on the sale of products such as party and energy pills and herbal highs.

The aim of the policy is to control the location and operating conditions of retailers selling psychoactive products.

Western Bay Mayor Ross Paterson said the policy was one of the most influential steps the council could take to address the concerns of the thousands of residents in Te Puke and Katikati who oppose the sale of psychoactive products in their towns.

Today the council's Policy and Planning Committee release the draft policy for public comment.

The main points in the draft policy on which Council seeks feedback are:

- Restricting the location of premises selling psychoactive products to the central business areas of Te Puke and Katikati (excluding all other settlements in the Western Bay District)
- Restricting the proximity of retailers selling the products to no fewer than 750 metres from each other
- Restricting the proximity of retail premise selling psychoactive products to no fewer than 100 metres from educational facilities, libraries and medical centres
- Limiting operating hours to six days a week, Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 5pm daily.

People can have their say on the draft policy from Wednesday February 19, until Wednesday March 19.

Hearings will be held on Monday, April 7, and council will meet to deliberate on the submissions and adopt the policy on Monday, April 14.

The council is also writing to the Minister of Health to urge more community input into decisions about the sale of psychoactive products.

Mr Paterson urged people to make submissions and present their views to the hearings in April.

The draft is the result of extensive community feedback with input from all sides of the situation and it reflects the interests of the majority, Mr Paterson said.

Psychoactive substances are ingredients in party pills, energy pills and herbal high products. Last year Government introduced the Psychoactive Substances Act and established a new licensing system for psychoactive products and for anyone wanting to manufacture or sell such products.

The Act prohibits the sale of these substances from dairies, conveniences stores, grocery stores, supermarkets, service stations and alcohol retail outlets.

While the Act does not give councils the power to ban the sale of these products, it does give councils power to create their own policy to control the location of retail premises selling these products, the number of outlets in any given precinct and the location of retail outlets in relation to sensitive sites.

The draft policy will be available on the council's website at www.westernbay.govt.nz and hard copies made available at council libraries and service centres.

Submissions close on Wednesday, March 19.